No quick fixes for Ferrari in game of catchup

SHANGHAI: Ferrari are having their worst start to a season since 1981 but they are unlikely to make any major improvements to their car until Formula One returns to Europe after next weekend's Bahrain Grand Prix.

The Italian team failed to win a point for the third successive race since the start of the season in Sunday's Chinese Grand Prix, leaving the champions bottom of the standings and drivers Felipe Massa and Kimi Raikkonen seething with frustration.

Blame has been put on problems with the KERS energy recovery system, which they dumped for Shanghai, but most of all on the absence of a split-level diffuser like that which has proved so successful for championship leaders Brawn GP.